Chapter 4 - Adrian fired once.The bullet hit the floor beside the reaching hand.
The hand vanished.
Marcus grabbed Adrian and dragged him away from the opening.
“Don't!”
Smoke filled the room.
The alarms finally screamed.
A hidden sprinkler system burst overhead.
Cold water crashed down.
Adrian coughed and crawled toward the wall.
The explosion had opened another passage beneath the bedroom.
He could see concrete steps leading downward.
Not the secret room they had found earlier.
Something else.
Something older.
Marcus crouched beside the hole.
“There's another level.”
Adrian stared.
“How many floors under this house?”
“According to the original blueprints?”
“None.”
“Then someone built one illegally.”
A figure moved below.
Marcus aimed his weapon.
“Show your hands!”
Nothing.
Then came footsteps.
Running.
Marcus went after him.
Adrian followed.
The passage ended at a steel door.
Locked.
Marcus kicked it.
Once.
Twice.
The door opened.
Empty tunnel.
Only a black coat remained on the floor.
Adrian picked it up.
Inside the pocket was a photograph.
A younger Adrian stood beside Matteo.
Both men were smiling.
Behind them stood Victor Hale.
And in the far corner was a fourth man.
Adrian stared.
He had never seen him before.
Marcus studied the photograph.
“Sir?”
“Who's that?”
“I don't know.”
Adrian flipped the photograph over.
Written on the back:
THE FOURTH BROTHER.
His face hardened.
“I don't have a fourth brother.”
A gunshot echoed somewhere underground.
Marcus spun around.
“Stay back.”
He moved down the tunnel.
Adrian followed.
They found a man lying against the wall.
Not the attacker.
A security guard from the east wing.
One of Adrian's own men.
He was conscious but bleeding from the shoulder.
Adrian knelt.
“Who shot you?”
The guard struggled to speak.
“He…”
“Who?”
“He wore…”
The man coughed.
“your face.”
Adrian stared at him.
Marcus went rigid.
“What?”
The guard's eyes rolled.
“He looked like you.”
Then he passed out.
Adrian stood slowly.
A second figure appeared at the far end of the tunnel.
Marcus raised his gun.
“Stop!”
The figure ran.
Marcus chased him.
Adrian followed but lost sight of them at a fork.
Then his phone rang.
Emma.
He answered.
“What happened?”
Her voice was shaking.
“Lily is gone.”
Adrian's world narrowed.
“What?”
“She was sitting beside me.”
“Where are you?”
“In the east wing.”
“I'm coming.”
“Adrian…”
She rarely used his first name.
He stopped.
“What?”
“Someone came through the wall.”
His eyes moved to the tunnel.
“What did he look like?”
“He didn't.”
“What?”
“He wore a mask.”
“Did you see where he took Lily?”
Silence.
Then Emma whispered:
“He took Bunny.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
The rabbit.
The message.
The hidden zipper.
The strange number.
He looked at Marcus.
“Room 917.”
Marcus nodded.
“I'll get the men.”
“No.”
Adrian's voice turned cold.
“We don't know who we can trust.”
They ran upstairs.
When they reached the east wing, Emma was on her knees beside the sofa.
Blood stained the carpet.
Not hers.
Adrian crouched.
“Where?”
Emma pointed.
“My daughter.”
“No.”
She pointed toward the wall.
“There.”
Behind the sofa was a ventilation panel.
Half-open.
Adrian ripped it loose.
A narrow passage disappeared into darkness.
Marcus stared.
“This wasn't on the plans.”
“Nothing tonight is.”
Emma suddenly grabbed Adrian's arm.
“Listen to me.”
He turned.
Her eyes were full of terror.
“You have to let me go.”
“No.”
“He won't stop.”
“Who?”
“My husband.”
Adrian froze.
Emma shook her head.
“I told you Daniel might be alive.”
“You said you hadn't seen him.”
“I haven't.”
“Then how do you know he's coming?”
“Because he promised.”
Adrian's voice lowered.
“Promised what?”
Emma looked toward the tunnel.
“That one day…”
Her face crumpled.
“He would come back for Lily.”
A child's scream echoed from inside the passage.
Adrian moved instantly.
He entered the tunnel.
“Lily!”
No answer.
He kept moving.
The passage widened.
There were footprints in the dust.
One set adult.
One set tiny.
Lily had been carried.
At the end of the passage was a metal door.
Open.
Beyond it was a small room.
A chair.
A table.
A child's drawing.
And Lily's stuffed rabbit lying on the floor.
Adrian picked it up.
There was another piece of paper inside.
Four numbers.
11:48
Marcus read over his shoulder.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian stared.
A second message appeared.
YOU KEEP LOOKING AT 11:59.
LOOK ELEVEN MINUTES EARLIER.
He looked at Emma.
She had followed them into the tunnel.
Her face collapsed when she saw the paper.
“No.”
Adrian stepped toward her.
“What happened at 11:48?”
Emma whispered:
“That's when they came for Daniel.”
“When?”
“Six years ago.”
“Where?”
She shook her head.
“Here.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Inside this house?”
Emma nodded.
“And I was there.”
Silence.
Then Marcus's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
He looked at Adrian.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“The front gate camera just came back online.”
“And?”
Marcus swallowed.
“A black sedan is entering the property.”
“Who is driving?”
Marcus looked at the screen.
Then slowly raised his eyes.
May you like
“Daniel Carter.”
:::
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